SoCalHoops Recruiting News

SoCalHoops Top 25 (Plus One) Players
On The West Coast--(Nov. 2, 1998)

Every year for the last who-knows-how-long, Frank Burlison, late of the Long Beach Press-Telegram, and now with the Orange County Register, has put out his annual "Best in the West,"  which usually consists of the top 15 or so players on the West Coast.  For reasons unknown to us (perhaps legal reasons involving ownership of the name "Best in the West" by the P-T?, or maybe the OCR just wants to be different), Frank's consensus list this year will not bear that name, and will be called something else, again unknown to us.  It will, however, be published in tomorrow's edition of the Orange County Register, and if you can get hold of a copy of the paper, it's worth every nickel. We're not sure that it will be made available in it's full form on the web version of the Register, and even if it is, you'd still be well-advised to spend the money for the hard-copy version so you can keep it throughout the season.  Frank's list, from what we understand, is not just Frank picking the top teams by himself, but is a consensus of some of the top writers, scouts and coaches on the West Coast, so it's got a bit more "credibility" to the extent that a bunch of opinions carries more weight than one opinion, something which may or may not be true.  But it's at least based upon more than one pair of eyes evaluating talent on the West Coast. Of course, since we've only got two eyes here at SoCalHoops (well, we do get lots of help, but principally, we do this with just a skeleton group), we're not sure we agree with the consesus approach. 

We haven't seen Frank's list, and we have no inside information about who's going to be on it.  But we've got a pretty good idea about who should be on it, and unlike Street & Smith's, our's is a list which might be considered top heavy with SoCal talent.  But hey, this is SoCalHoops after all.  And actually this is a pretty good consensus list, as we've floated it out to about 10 scouts, college coaches and high school coaches, and so in our mind, everyone on it clearly deserves to be there.

And while there may be some disagreement over the Preseason Player of the Year, it's really just our opinion. Anything can, and probably will happen.  So this list may or may not mean anything by the time the season ends. Only time will tell.

Just for fun, and to see how close we get to Frank's actual picks (which last year were 15 players, not 25, but then we don't want to overlook anyone, so we expanded ours to 25, plus the Preseason Player of the Year, which actually brings it to 26) , here's our pre-season rankings of the top players on the West Coast this year, sort of our own version of the "Best In The West."  Also note, we could have included one 5th year senior, Jamal Crawford, who was really the best point guard on the West Coast this summer, but because we don't think Frank will include him (nor do we think Frank will he include any other prep schoolers like Doug Wrenn) we've chosen not to list him, even though he clearly would otherwise deserve  the recognition.

Our selections below are alphabetical with the exception of our Pre-Season Player of the Year, so there are really no numerical rankings. We could have done that, but then we just don't believe in that sort of thing.   Really.

SoCalHoops' Top 25 Players On The West Coast 

Aaron Abrams (6'-4" Sr. SG/SF) from Rancho Buena Vista High-- Uncommitted--Much underrecruited and overlooked, Aaron has seen most of his playing partners commit to major D-I's, and a lot of coaches should understand that he was one reason some of these guys looked as good as they have.  He's active on the floor, has a strong drive to the hole and is a good shooter from the outside and at the basket, where he can play above the rim. Defends and rebounds very well, and should go high major. Looking at San Jose State, Fresno and Washington State.  Another Pump-N-Run player.

Lance Allred (6'-11" Sr. C) from East High, Salt Lake City-- Committed to Utah. Lance spent some time out here this summer and looked impressive. He'll be staying in Utah, and has verballed to the Utes. Big-time pickup for Majerus. Active player on the floor, runs well, and has solid post skills, and can run the floor very well. Excellent defender, good shot-blocker. Just what Utah needs.

Gilbert Arenas (6'-4" Sr. SG) from Grant High School, Van Nuys-- Committed to Arizona.  Gilbert personally scored 63 points against Crenshaw last season. Gilbert is one of the best pure shooters, who could also be a point guard if he truly thought of himself as a one man. Great handle, ability to penetrate and drive through traffic with very fluid motion, reminiscent of a shorter version of Tayshaun Prince. Gilbert has already verballed to Arizona, where he'll join some of his other SoCal buddies like Ruben Douglas. A smooth, quick, cat-like defender with an accurate shot out to three point range. Potential to be one of the best ever produced by SoCal. A former Pump-N-Run player.

Julius Barnes (6'-1" Sr. PG) from Rowland High School, Rowland Heights-- Julius has verballed to Stanford, and will be a starter there in our opinion for the next four years, taking over for Arthur Lee.   Played for Dinos Trigonis for the past few years on the Belmont Shore Team. Very good instincts on the court, pushes the break better than almost anyone, and can drive, penetrate, and just about always finds the open man.

Rafael Berumen (6'-9" Sr. PF/C) from Simi Valley High, Simi Valley--Has verballed to New Mexico, and will be an immediate impact player and could start for the next four years. Part of the Rockfish team which will see virtually all of it's members sign at major D-I schools. Good post skills, and can also play the wing and shoot out to three, a very versatile player who certainly deserves the honor of being one of the best.

Carlos Boozer (6'-8" Sr. PF) from Douglas High, Juneau, Alaska--Uncommitted.  Will he or won't he be a Bruin? Some say he's a lock, and others say no way. For now, this huge 16 year old, who some also say is "soft" inside, isn't talking. Carlos plays the game a lot like Rico Harris, and tends to float on the inside until he really has to bang, and he can also step out and hit the medium range j, although his body is clearly built for strong inside play.   Either gets a ton of respect from the pundits or none at all (aka Gibbons), but then we think he's genuinely one of the best and deserving of attention. Plays for Darren Matsubara's Fresno EBO team during the summer.

Curtis Borchardt (6'-9" Sr. C) from   Eastlake High, Redmond, Washington--Has committed to Stanford.  He's a very good inside-outside player who can score and post up. Curtis surprised a lot of people when he verballed to Stanford, and he has his critics, all of them we believe who will have to eat their words for the coming next four years as Curtis becomes a major inside force with the Collins twins.

Justin Davis (6'-8" Sr. PF) from St. Joseph-Notre Dame, Alameda, California--Justin first verballed to Cal, then fudged a bit, and then his offer at Cal was reportedly revoked by Ben Braun. As a result, his recruitment is open again, and he will visit UCLA; Stanford is reportedly "out" because he allegedly can't qualify academically, but we question that conventional wisdom (if that's what you'd call it, we'd call it rumor and innuendo). In any event, Justin is a big, strong post-up scoring threat, who runs the floor, and is extremely agile and physical. He defends and rebounds well, and can also play the center position. A Bay Area Baller. 

Mike Dunleavy, Jr. (6'-7" Sr. SG/SF)--from Jesuit High, Portland, Oregon.--Uncommitted.  A Pump-N-Run player. One of the best in the class, thin, quick and has great court presence and instincts, and can shoot the lights out. We're hoping for Stanford, but could be Duke or Kentucky.  Has a great court sense, and good vision, very athletic and understands the game like you would expect an NBA coach's son to understand it.  Will be a big-time player wherever he signs, and has great potential to follow his father into the NBA. And best of all, there are two more younger Dunleavys on the way, with Baker following as a sophomore this year.

Kevin Gaines (6'-2" Sr. PG) from Clark High School, Las Vegas,  Nevada-- Kevin has committed to Michigan. He's an excellent athlete, with great vision, with an excellent handle. Can drive and penetrate, and is really a very exciting player who made big news at the adidas Las Vegas Big Time this summer. He's also an excellent perimeter shooter, and can also play the two, although he probably won't do that much in college. Good defender with excellent hands and lateral quickness and the ability to shut down another team's best player.

Andrew Gooden (6'-9" Sr. PF) from El Cerrito High, El Cerrito, California-- Andrew has committed to Kansas.  He's very active, can run, jump, block shots, and has good post moves as well, including a great shooting touch in and around the basket.  Is a good enough outside shot and has a good enough handle and slashing ability that he can handle the three spot, and can also move people out of the paint like a center.

Nate Hair (6'-4" Sr. SG/SF) from Capistrano Valley High, Mission Viejo-- Nate has verballed to USC.  A former BWBA and Pump-N-Run player.  A surprise by many to be rated as high as he was at the end of the summer, this tough-as-nails defender just exploded this summer. He's quick, with great instincts, and can play above the rim or drive an offensive opponent to distraction. He's a decent shooter, who will probably be the hardest working player on the Trojans next year.

Demetrius Hunter (6'-2" Sr. SG) from Cheyenne High School, Las Vegas, Nevada--  Originally was said to have verballed to Pepperdine, only to change his mind and verbal to Georgetown. An explosive player, who can run the floor, use his great athleticism well, and can drive and penetrate. Has a good shot, but is most effective on the transition with great speed and ability to push the break. Can and often does also play the point.

Casey Jacobsen (6'-8" Sr. SG) from Glendora High School, Glendora, California-- Casey has verballed to Stanford.  He is one of the most prolific shooters of all-time, and is threatening to break Tracey Murray's shooting records this year. Made a huge impact on the US Junior team, leading them to victory in Moscow this summer. Big-bodied player, very athletic and strong, but is very fast for a guy his size, shoots the lights out, particularly off screens and picks. Surprising quickness for a guy that big. Played for SCA this past summer, and formerly played with Dinos Trigonis' Belmont Shore teams as well as ARC.

Dalron Johnson (6'-8" Sr. PF/C) from Verbum Dei, Los Angeles, CA--Uncommitted--Dalron is currently looking at Cal, but leaning toward UNLV. He's a really excellent athlete who can run the floor, jumps very well, and can post up and score from inside very well.  Had some tough games last year, including the State Championship D-IV game, where he struggled, but when he turns it on, their are few who are better. Another Rockfish player.

Joe Kirchofer (6'-9" Sr. PF/C) from Laguna Creek High, Elk Grove, CA--Committed to Stanford--Joe has probably the highest GPA and SAT score of anyone in this group, and he's probably got the strongest lower body development of anyone too. Great post up guy, excellent rebounder, very active, runs the floor well, will be a major contributor at the Farm.

Donnell Knight (6'-8" Sr. SF) from Corona del Sol High, Phoenix, Arizona--Has committed to Arizona State. A great athlete, runs and jumps better than almost anyone in the class. Great ability to pull up for the j, and can create off the dribble or shoot off a screen. Big defensive talent as well, and about as aggressive as anyone in the class. A good rebounder, can slash to the basket and finish. The big question for Donnell will be whether he will qualify.

Shantay Legans (5'-10" Sr. PG) from Dos Pueblos High, Goleta, CA-- Has committed to Cal.  Many might argue with this selection, but Shantay is strong, quick, agressive and has great court vision and can get the ball to the open man as good as anyone in the class. May not be the next coming of Jesus Shuttlesworth, but could help lead the Bears back to the tournament.  Tough defender, and very quick. Rockfish strikes again.

Tito Maddox (6'-4" Sr. PG) from Compton High, Compton, CA-- Uncommitted. Tito is reportedly looking at Michigan, Fresno State, and UConn, that is provided he ever gets on a plane or if his transcripts will utltimately give him eligibility.  Tito is probably the strongest of the point guards, with the quickest first step in the class. A very explosive player, he can just physically take over a game, which is what his Dino Trigonis-coached Belmont Shore team did at the Nike National Championships this summer against Southern California All-Stars featuring Tyson Chandler, Casey Jacobsen, and a huge supporting cast.  A big time prospect.

Chris Osborne (6'-9" Sr. C/PF) from Westchester High, Los Angeles, CA--Uncommitted--Originally had committed to ASU, but has opened up his recruiting again, and is looking at Washington State and Long Beach State. Huge, strong athlete, runs well, good post-up moves and great footwork. A strong defender and excellent rebounder. Could lead the Comets back to the State finals. TPI and Belmont Shore player.

Joe Shipp (6'-5" Sr. SG/SF) from Fairfax High, Los Angeles, CA--Uncommitted. Joe is looking at Pepperdine, San Jose, Washington, WSU and Temple. Joe is a good athlete, who has regained 100 % of his explosiveness following a year off with an injury. Can shoot out to three, plays very good defense, runs the break well, and can finish above the rim.  Played mostly for TPI, then Belmont Shore and Pump-N-Run.

Tanner Shell (6'-6" Sr. SG) from Mountain View High, Mesa, AA--Committed to Arizona State.  Tannner is a very good athlete, with a great handle, who can play either the two, three or four equally well, plays hard every time and leaves 100% on the floor. A good rebounder, with nice defensive skills, he'll be a solid starter for the Sun Devils for at least three years after his freshman year, and could be starting by the middle of next year.

Brian Wethers (6'-5" Sr. SG) from Murietta Valley High, Murietta Valley, CA--Committed to Cal. Another Rockfish product, one of three so far to verbal to Cal. Brian is an excellent athlete, runs very well and has an excellent handle. He drives, dishes, and shoots well from three-point range, and generally makes good things happen.

Armand Thomas (6'-8" Sr. C/PF) from Crenshaw High, Los Angeles, CA--Uncommitted--Armand is an excellent athlete with a very complete game in the paint; strong, active, and runs the floor exceedingly well. Great instincts and skill potential, he's currently looking at Washington State, Pepperdine, and Rutgers. TPI & Pump & Run.

Ryan Wildenborg (6'-11" Sr. C) from Juanita High, Kirkland, WA--Committed to Minnesota-- A strong, hard-working guy, with a good shooting touch and decent post moves, with excellent rebounding skills and good defensive ability. Tremendous potential.

And here's SoCalHoops' Preseason West Coast Player of the Year:

Jason Kapono (6'-8" Sr. PG/SG/SF/PF) from Lakewood Artesia High, Lakewood, CA--Uncommitted. Jason can pretty much do it all, run the point, hit the three, play out on the wing and slash to the hole, hit the pull-up jumper, or post up. He may not be the most purely athletic player in the class, but he gets our vote as the top player this year. He's still looking at UNLV, Utah, Syracuse, Rhode Island, and Missouri.  Jason is an excellent shooter, is a great student of the game, and plays with wisdom beyond his years. Great instincts and incredible touch, we saw him hit for 8 three pointers in the first half of a game this summer, and then switch to the point. Probably the most versatile player in the class. And besides, he's the only guy in this class who's already gotten his own commercial.

So there it is. Probably not as complete by way of background as Frank's list will be, but we're willing to bet that there isn't a player on our list who also doesn't show up on his list.  At least we'll find out tomorrow morning when the Orange County Register finally hits the streets.

Oh, and by the way, just so we don't leave out any players who we think are almost as good, we've followed this up with a position specific listing of SoCalHoops' own "West Coast High Honorable Mention" selections.

Of course, if you agree or disagree, let us know on the message forum. 

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